Vice President

Chris Braunlich is a former member of the Fairfax County School Board, and vice president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessary reflect the opinions of the Institute or its Board of Directors. He may be reached at c.Braunlich@att.net.

Written by Mr. Christian N. Braunlich

February 2016

Helping Children, Saving Tax Dollars —
In 2014-2015, the Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit offered nearly 1,400 low and moderate income students the opportunity for a better educational placement. At the same time, it saved the Commonwealth of Virginia nearly $3 million in Standards of Quality funding as those students left the public system to attend a private school. With a 65 percent tax credit, Virginia's tax credit scholarship program offers one of the smallest credits in the nation. Raising the credit to 90 percent would stimulate more donations to scholarship foundations, relieve family financial strains by providing higher scholarships to poorer students, offer more choices to educationally at-risk students --- and not cost Virginia taxpayers a dime! Read It Here!

February 2016

Jefferson Journal: Why Virginia Needs a Charter School Amendment — By Chris Braunlich Senator Mark Obenshain and Delegate Rob Bell have proposed a Virginia constitutional amendment permitting the State Board of Education to authorize p[ublic charter schools. If passed this year by the General Assembly, it goes to the voters for approval in November. Because charter schools remain relativesly unknown in Virginia, it's important to understand how they operate in other states, what the results have been, and why they have failed to take hold here in the Commonwealth. Read It Here!

October 2015

Jefferson Journal: Time for Reform in Juvenile Justice? —
If the evidence showed that taking a particular medication actually made the disease worse, would you keep taking it? But when it comes to Virginia's juvenile justice system, that's been the prescription for too many years. (10/16/2015) Read It Here!